Bruce Langford's
Mindfulness Mode Podcast

377 Shortcuts To Awakening With Jonathan Robinson

November 21, 2018 by Bruce Langford

Jonathan Robinson is an author, a psychotherapist, and co-host of the popular podcast “Awareness Explorers.” His specialty is providing people with simple methods that lead to more peace, love, and awareness. He is the bestselling author of 12 books, and has been a frequent guest on Oprah and CNN. Articles about him have appeared in Newsweek, USA Today, and Reader's Digest magazine. Jonathan is the host of the Awareness Explorers Podcast. He also speaks at Fortune 500 companies on how to be less stressed while achieving more.

Most Influential Person

Effect on Emotions

Mindfulness has made me a lot less afraid of them, [my emotions], and allowed me to just enjoy them more, not see them as something to get stuck in because I don't get stuck in them anymore.

And to allow myself to really feel them and to see them as a friend rather than something I need to be afraid of.

Thoughts on Breathing

Well, if I don't breathe, there's no mindfulness. Just like knowing the background of awareness as a way to always tap into peace.

Breathing is another thing that's always there and it's like a rock that will always be there if you need it. It's a good anchor into the world of presence and whether it be being aware of being aware or being aware of your breathing, it's a great feeling to know that something is always there that you can relax into.

Bullying Story

I do actually have a story. It happened just a month ago. I actually teach mindfulness in prisons. I volunteer and I was in a prison, in a room with maybe 20 hardcore prisoners, rapists and murderers mostly.

I said something that really offended one of the guys and he got up and he started shouting at me. Well, you know, this is not a pretty scene. There's no guards there.

And I decided to use a couple of techniques hoping that they would calm him down and I wouldn't end up seriously hurt.

So I said two things. I said, I notice that you're really upset and that you're really good at expressing your emotions and I really appreciate how real you are. I just want you to know that right now I'm feeling really scared and I'm feeling really frightened with your yelling and I would like to connect with you, but I can't do it when you're screaming at me.

So I'm basically saying what's going on in the moment. One, my appreciation about what he's doing, what I noticed about what he's doing and what is happening in me. And it was pretty amazing, the effect.

He immediately calmed down. He said, that's cool. I'm sorry, I just got upset by what you said. Then he sat down and we went over the whole thing and we ended up forming a really nice bond.

But, you know, something like that could have saved my life because he was about six foot, five inches, 300 pounds.

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